You know. I truly amaze myself sometimes. For as much as I like to think I know about music, (for the sake of specificity, reggae) there’s always the assignment that literally wipes the smugness right out of you. Reminding you that this game is too large, and despite the self-aggrandizement that all music reviewers can’t help but display every time we put finger to keyboard, you don’t know nearly as much as you think you do. I can admit that most times. After all, I’m a humble cat and have been listening and critiquing reggae for “only” 25 years, give or take. I say only, because even though I fell permanently in love with it back in the early ’90s, it takes time to develop the certitude and ability to confidently tell people what does or doesn’t warrant their precious listening time (and money).

For this duration, I’ve had the pleasure of parsing the catalogs of both legends in the genre, as well as new jacks with Similac still on their breaths, and I’ll be the first to tell you I take this job SERIOUSLY. Not only because folks expect you to know what the hell you’re talking about, but your opinion has the potential to impact positively or negatively, the artists themselves. Yeah, I’m just one man, but in the grand scheme of things and the infinite reach of these “internet streets”, it really is that deep. That being said, JA representer Runkus offers the latest smack upside the head of Yankee Nupe, through his new album, Supernova and provides quite the case study on acquainting the unacquainted. The son of late dancehall big timer, Determine (Kette Drum, Broom Broom) Runkus has been forging his own path in reggae music since the release of his debut album In:Side back in 2021, I myself had only been marginally familiar with him having “discovered“ him on Chronixx’s single, Pretty Suit, on which he was featured but clearly he is intent on keeping the momentum from his initial offering rolling along.

In full disclosure, I love it when an artist understands the assignment of choosing a proper opening track. Not only does the first initial song determine how you approach the rest of the album, a fail here can sully the whole effort, especially if after a minute or so, you start reaching for the skip button. Runkus has nothing to worry about from all you dancehall heads out there who Kool-Aid grin smile, when you hear the sound of a classic riddim exploding through the speakers. On Supernova, the opening salvo, he lulls you in with a soft piano intro making you question what you’re in for, only to flip the script on you with an expertly delivered vibe check over the timeless Punanny riddim. You never want to automatically compare artists to family that preceded them in the business, but it’s inevitable that we search for hints of the talent within the DNA of said tribe. (Marleys anyone??) Hints of Determine are DEFINITELY present in his delivery with the confidence and clarity Runkus displays, but it’s moreso an homage than a straight copying of his father’s style. This is blatantly evident on the next track, the head snapping Sheep. I’m betting money that you cannot resist doing a bop to this one as Runkus kills this with a sing/chat delivery that blends seamlessly with a beat that defies explanation. It says the song features Peter Tosh, but that’s a reference to segments of the stepping razor’s 1982 speech at the Jamaican World Music Festival, so don’t expect any vocal assistance from beyond the grave ala Gregory Isaac’s collabo album.

Keeping the proceedings lively, Runkus continues with two club worthy tracks in 3310 and Sniper Rifle in which my dude straight shows off over a minimalist classic ’90s “Street Sweeper” style riddim that made me question if pops EVER came off this hard! No disrespect to dad with Father’s Day right around the corner, but this one is for sure a valid measuring stick against the old man. Of course no well received reggae album will lack versatility, which Runkus shows with ease on the smooth Please Don’t Come To Mars in which he flexes valid singing chops right along with (passable) rap skills of all things, to great effect and then followed, by Every Ghetto Youth Is A Star another jig worthy banger. Loving the production on this album, Stone Love (an ode to a hardened heart woman, not the legendary Rory and crew) sounds almost orchestral with beautiful strings and haunting female background accompaniment and then we jump back right into familiar grounds with the clutch Sean Paul assisted, Sure As The Sun which interpolates the scorching Party Time riddim from the Heptones.

As I digest this album, it’s plainly evident that that talent like Runkus’s is hard to harness. Who’s to tell a multi talent like him just what to do when expressing themselves musically? That being said I’ll impart a bit of honesty and say he’s not the best singer ever, and some of the more vocal heavy tracks were a little grating at first listen, which created some uneven moments on occasion. Life Over Death was just okay for me, while Last Night was a little better with the tempo switch and Runkus taking his time and smoothing out his delivery a tad. Ego Death got back into the rapping bag (which I’m not a fan of) and fell just a little flat. The production almost sounded like A Kanye West throwaway track, and I’ll be the first to say I can do without reggae artists dabbling into the hip-hop lane. Speaking of Ye, the closer, The Boy Who Cried Wolf also took inspiration from the “insane genius” as the beginning of the track borrows directly from the beginning of Jesus Walks with the same “marching men” intro which sets the tone for Runkus to again spit lyrics with an indelible patois that people either love or hate. Count me somewhere in the middle, but overall this track was a no go for me. And is it just me or does the beat sound almost exactly like Kanye’s Heard Em Say? I did say I like to think I know music, right?

At the end of the day, those gripes are but small potatoes to the overall effort. The bottom line is whether the album is worthy of the fans’ shekels, and that answer is a resounding yes. With three albums in the bag, Runkus is still finding his way sonically, and trying to carve out a noteworthy legacy of his own, as often is the case with offspring and or siblings/cousins of established artists. Despite my issues with Supernova, I’m confident that he’ll have no problem with that. Those who can do more than one thing will always be in demand and that is an ability that is going to serve him well. At least the next time he drops, I’ll have shed the cluelessness to him that has me pining for Rum Cake instead of humble pie.